BTS: A Court of Embers

22: To Wander Alone

The drawing room was eerily quiet upon approach. Maren listened for anything but could only hear her own breathing.

Jeanette, Laurel, Adelia, Genevieve, Blaire, Celeste, and Lyra sat in their normal circle. All seven of them were hunched forward, Maren's entrance snuffing out their conversation entirely. Jeanette rolled her eyes. Laurel and Lyra both turned to the view. Celeste and Blaire glared daggers. Genevieve simply leaned back into her chair, coughing into her elbow.

Maren grimaced, her gaze falling solely on Lyra. "We need to talk."

When Lyra was displeased, her pretty face appeared more sad than upset. She sniffled as she met Maren's eye and shook her head.

"You need to talk to all of us," Jeanette snapped. Sitting up straighter, she dictated that she would be the head of the congregation. "Every woman in this circle participates and maintains communication with others. You are the only one that withholds."

Maren scoffed. "Wait, what?"

Adelia nodded somberly. "Maren, you cannot continue to want information from us and give nothing in exchange."

The girl was so confused she thought her head might fall off if her neck craned back any further. "I don't want information from you. I want to talk to my friend."

Genevieve tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear. She was surprisingly pale in the sunlight. Thinner, too. "Your friend would not like to speak with you. No one does."

Maren's hands went to her hips. "Where is this coming from?"

Jeanette might have reared her head first, but the slick response came from Genevieve. It was obvious then who held the spotlight of the group; who they had chosen as their figurehead. "I took the liberty of sharing with the others that you joined the Prince in his quarters last night."

Stunned into silence, a wave of realization crashed against her insides. This was why the room held a bitter chill. This was why the women looked about ready to pick her apart piece by piece and leave her to the birds. But something else occurred to her.

Maren's fists balled at her sides, hating that no matter what her response could be, she would be the one that broke the trust of someone else. "How would you have known that?"

Lyra shook her head furiously while Jeanette laughed wickedly. "She doesn't even deny it!"

Blaire said, "Have you no shame?"

"It's not--," Maren began, but stopped. It was like that. Had the sun not arrived, it could have been anything. And she had been willing to follow and lead every step of the way. Growing more frustrated, she groaned. It was all she could do not to stomp her feet. "This is so stupid!"

"To you, it may be a joke. But there are others that have found pieces of their heart in His Highness as well," Adelia explained. "You never informed any of us that you even liked him."

"I do not have to tell you what I am doing. I did not volunteer to be in your clique. Neither did I volunteer to be any of your friends! I would like to speak to the only human in this palace that I would consider kind."

Laurel softly spoke to Lyra. "Would you like to speak with her?"

A tear fell down Lyra's flushed cheeks. "I can't."

"Lyra, honey," Adelia cooed. She moved from her seat to the open space on the other side of Lyra. "Let it out. We all feel the same."

Jeanette continued to chuckle bitterly. "My favorite part of this is her utter lack of consideration. As if anyone would have cared if she made herself part of the competition. But she acts behind all of our backs and then gets upset with us! Is that not madness?"